Split hair ends (trichoptlosis) come about when the protective cuticle of the hair has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers. Split ends are more likely to develop in dry or brittle hair, and typical causes of damage include excessive dying or vigorous brushing. Once the hair cuticle is removed, it is impossible to replace. Typically the hair splits into two or three strands. The split can be a fraction of an inch to more than an inch in length.
The split ends create a frizzy and unkempt appearance to the hair. The best treatment is to cut off the split end of the damaged fiber. This is an easy solution when the split ends occur at the end of hair growth, but less effective or simple to accomplish when the frayed ends materialize on hair ends that do not terminate with the longest hair growth, that is, they occur at points intermediate the scalp and the end of the longest hair growth.
When the hair is not trimmed at its end length or when the split ends occur within the coif, a common treatment is to apply a leave-in conditioner with a light hold, or a pomade just on the tips that will hold the hair ends down within the adjoining hair strands. Except for trimming the end growth of a head of hair, clipping the intermediate split ends becomes a problem. For example, one process for such trimming requires the twisting of small sections of hair in a downward motion to expose the split ends. Then the twisted hair is snipped with sharp scissors into the thickness of the hair to remove the damaged cuticles and give a layered effect.
All of these solutions are cumbersome, time consuming and result in limited success. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a hand held electrically operated clipper that can be gently passed over a coif of hair to remove the split hair ends that protrude from the surface of the coif.